Chapter 161: Negotiation
Xia Hua Jiao, being a plant, lacked experience in communicating with other organisms. It didn’t notice anything odd and was having a pleasant conversation with the roses.
When Xia Hua Jiao asked if all the roses were from the same plant, the rose quickly admitted, “Yes, all of these are my branches. There’s only one rose bush in the entire Shangyan District, and that’s me.”
Xia Lu Nong straightened instinctively.
After the rose said this, all of its branches simultaneously turned toward Xia Lu Nong. “You already guessed this, didn’t you? So why are you so surprised?”
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t expected the rose to address him directly and was taken aback. He reached out and grasped one of its branches. “You know who I am?”
“Yes,” replied the rose. “That honeysuckle told me about you. It seems to like you quite a bit.”
For a moment, Xia Lu Nong didn’t know how to respond.
The rose continued, “Don’t trouble this pepper tree anymore. Why did you come here? Just tell me directly.”
Xia Hua Jiao made a questioning “swoosh” sound.
Xia Lu Nong still wasn’t sure how to respond. He glanced at Kong Zhi and his brother, then at the others waiting nearby.
The rose’s attitude was so strange that all his previous assumptions were now useless.
This was the first time he’d encountered a plant that was so lively yet capable of changing its mood faster than flipping a page.
The rose seemed to grow impatient, its branches turning toward him, no longer friendly.
Xia Lu Nong spoke up, “Honeysuckle mentioned you to me too.”
He spoke slowly, trying to buy time to think. “That’s why we decided to come and take a look.”
The rose’s response carried a hint of coldness: “I know. Get to the point.”
Xia Lu Nong didn’t follow its lead, continuing, “My ability can promote plant growth, which benefits both parties. That’s why I get along well with most plants. My friendship with the honeysuckle came about this way.”
Upon hearing this, the rose’s branches relaxed slightly, and the tension eased. Kong Zhi and Xia Huo Qu, who had been ready to shift into beast form, also loosened their muscles.
The atmosphere had been so bad just moments ago that they were on the verge of making a move.
Sensing the change in mood, Xia Lu Nong pressed on. “After hearing about you from the honeysuckle, I was curious and wanted to see for myself, so I came.”
The rose responded, “You’ve seen it now. You can leave. Shangyan District is my territory, and I don’t welcome any creatures here unless they’re prey.”
Xia Lu Nong looked at the rose and said, “The honeysuckle isn’t doing well.”
The rose bush was blunt: “That’s because it’s stupid.”
Xia Lu Nong responded, “You don’t seem to be in great shape either. Your mental state is off.”
All the branches of the rose bush moved at once, as if it was about to attack Xia Lu Nong.
Kong Zhi quickly transformed into a giant golden eagle, took a few steps forward, and soared into the sky, circling above, ready to swoop down and grab Xia Lu Nong at any moment.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Xia Lu Nong tensed his abdomen, ready to shift into his animal form at any moment, his eyes fixed on the rose bush. “I have no hostility toward you. If we were hostile, we would have launched a long-range attack by now.”
The rose bush scoffed, “I didn’t know humans had the virtue of restraint.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “The differences between humans are even greater than the differences between plants.”
“Enough nonsense. There are only two reasons you haven’t attacked me: either you’re unsure you can kill me outright, or… you want something from me?”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “What do you think we want?”
“How should I know? With most humans, when it comes to mutated plants and animals, they’re usually after the body or its parts,” the rose bush said. “The only thing you could want is my body.”
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t expected the conversation to take this direction. Hearing the rose bush’s words, he felt both amused and baffled.
Its statement was so strange—it sounded like a child trying to speak in adult terms.
Xia Lu Nong unexpectedly felt more relaxed. He raised his hands to show he meant no harm. “If that’s the case, why don’t we talk first? You’re not busy right now, so let’s have a chat. In exchange for your time, I’ll give you some of my power.”
The rose bush was wary. “How do I know your power won’t harm me?”
“Just try it,” Xia Lu Nong replied without touching the bush. “You can offer a branch that’s not too important. If my power harms you, you can cut it off immediately.”
The rose bush hesitated for a moment but reluctantly agreed.
Xia Lu Nong grabbed the offered branch and genuinely transferred his power, which encouraged plant growth.
As soon as his power flowed into the branch, it began to visibly lengthen and thicken, sprouting fresh green buds.
The rose bush watched its branch grow with amazement. “You really did it! How is this possible?”
Xia Lu Nong explained, “That’s why I usually work with plants as partners. We can benefit each other.”
The rose bush’s branches all turned toward Xia Hua Jiao.
It asked, “How long have you been growing? Does he usually give you a lot of this power? How much have you grown this year?”
Xia Hua Jiao answered honestly.
Upon hearing how much Xia Hua Jiao had grown in just a year, the rose bush seemed to grow jealous. “Why did you plant this pepper tree? For its peppers or its trunk? I’ve heard the trunks of mutated plants are quite useful.”
“I collect some peppers from it,” Xia Lu Nong explained, “I like the peppers it produces, but my main reason for planting it is to have it protect my home from ill-intentioned humans. The peppers are just a bonus.”
The rose bush found this hard to believe and questioned Xia Hua Jiao carefully.
Xia Hua Jiao shook its crown and confirmed the truth.
The rose bush then asked Xia Lu Nong, “Did you come here hoping I would guard your home too?”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “You’re too big. I was hoping you could guard an entire city.”
The rose bush didn’t understand what he meant.
Xia Lu Nong continued, “There’s a plain at the foot of the mountain where our base is located. Honeysuckle’s main body is planted there, and no humans have settled in the area yet. If you’re willing, I originally planned to invite you to live there and help protect the land.”
The rose bush was skeptical. “That simple?”
“Our original plan was that simple,” Xia Lu Nong said. “Honeysuckle didn’t tell us how large your body was or anything else. I originally wanted to plant you by the river and use my power to help you grow until you could cover most of the plain.”
The rose bush hadn’t expected such a grand offer and was momentarily stunned.
Xia Lu Nong didn’t rush it; he waited quietly for the bush to think it over.
After a while, the rose bush said, “You can see my situation. This entire area is part of my main body. I don’t have time to guard a plain.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “We didn’t know at first, but after seeing you like this, we guessed.”
The rose bush expressed some regret. It wasn’t interested in Xia Lu Nong or the plain, but it was very intrigued by his power.
After witnessing such a power but being unable to obtain it, the plants felt a deep sense of loss.
Seeing that its hostility had lessened, Xia Lu Nong asked, “Your situation really isn’t good. Can I ask, what’s going on?”
The rose bush shot back, “Didn’t you already ask?”
If it had been human, it would have rolled its eyes.
Xia Lu Nong smiled and patiently waited for an answer.
There was something about him that made plants feel at ease.
After hesitating for a moment, the rose bush finally said, “I encountered the same problem as the honeysuckle.”
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t expected that. “Your roots are rotting too?”
The rose bush seemed reluctant to talk about it. It paused before admitting, “Yes, tumors have grown on my roots, and they’re starting to rot.”
Xia Lu Nong instinctively glanced at Xia Hua Jiao nearby.
Xia Hua Jiao’s roots were extremely healthy—thick and resilient. It never worried about root problems and often used its roots like animal legs, hopping around on the ground.
The rose bush also noticed Xia Hua Jiao’s healthy roots and grumbled, “My roots used to be fine too. The problem only started this spring.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Did something unusual happen?”
The rose bush seemed to be evaluating whether he was trustworthy. After a pause, it said, “An earthquake. I felt an earthquake once, and after that, my roots slowly started having problems.”
Since waking up, Xia Lu Nong had only experienced one major earthquake, the one that triggered a tsunami.
He asked, “Was it the one that caused the tsunami?”
“I don’t know which one it was; it was just an earthquake,” the rose bush replied, becoming cautious again. “But even with my root problems, I’m still alive and well, so don’t get any bad ideas.”
Xia Lu Nong had a hunch about how the rose bush was surviving and asked, “Are you maintaining yourself by increasing your hunting, using a large amount of prey to stay alive?”
“Hmph, what’s wrong with that?”
“It’s fine, but this place is so remote. Once word gets out about you, how much prey will still come this way?” Xia Lu Nong asked. “You bloomed so many flowers in the dead of winter just to attract prey, right?”
The rose bush was silent for a moment, then said, “Human, I still don’t trust you.”
“Understood,” Xia Lu Nong replied before continuing. “This place is very far from our base.”
The rose bush found this comment odd. “Of course I know you’re far away.”
Xia Lu Nong explained, “Because we’re so far, we rarely come to this area. After we leave this time, it will be at least next year before we return.”
The rose bush asked, “What does that have to do with me?”
“The first time I met the honeysuckle, it gave me a piece of its offspring and a part of its main body. I planted the offspring behind my house, and the main body is now on the plain,” Xia Lu Nong said. “I really admire your abilities. I wonder if you’d be willing to give me a chance and give yourself a chance by letting me have a piece of your offspring or main body.”
The rose bush hadn’t expected him to make this kind of request. “You’re bold to ask.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “It’s just a suggestion. Even if you refuse, I won’t lose anything.”
The rose bush said, “I don’t know what the honeysuckle was thinking, but giving away our main body is not as simple as you think.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “What about your offspring?”
The rose bush snorted, “Even if it’s my offspring, what does another rose have to do with me? Why should I give it such a good opportunity?”
Xia Lu Nong was amused. This was the first time he’d encountered a plant that said no to everything.
He asked, “Then what do you want?”
The rose bush grew impatient. “Give me a moment to think!”
Translator Note:
I really love this rose tree, such a tsundere. Haha
